Ten Great Uses for Google Slides in the Classroom

Ten Great Uses for Google Slides in the Classroom

Google Slides is not only useful for teachers to present information, it’s a great tool for students too.  Here are ten great ways Google Slides can be used in the classroom:

1. Use Google Slides Q & A.  This is great way to be interactive with your class while presenting a Google Slide deck.  While in the presentation, click the drop down menu.  Select presenter view.  Make sure you’re in “Audience Tools,” tab, then press “Start New.”  A link will be generated at the top of your presentation that can be accessed by any device.  Students can ask questions which will be seen by you in real time.

2. Students create vocabulary slides.  Students can use each slide to describe vocabulary words.  Put the word on the top of the slide, ask students to include a definition as well as pictures from the internet that describes the vocabulary word.

3. Use it for introductions.  This is great at the beginning of the year.  Not only do they tell the class about themselves, but they are also introduced to the idea of using technology in the classroom which sets the tone for the rest of the year.  Students create a Google Slide show describing themselves with not only text, but find pictures from the internet and include them in their presentation.

4. Create a timeline.  Students create a timeline of events by using each slide as a particular part of time.  This is great for a history class.  Each slide can contain a year, a description, and pictures that represent the event.

5. Note taking at their own speed.  Students review the Google Slides presentation and write down the notes at their own pace.  After taking the notes, the students can be required to complete a question sheet or Google Form assessment based on the notes.

6. Play Jeopardy!  There are Google Slides templates out there that you can copy into your Google Drive and edit as you please.  Great for a review game.

7. Create a PDF ebook.  Creating a PDF ebook is a good way to create your own study guide or other information that can be easily given out to the students.  Simpler create a slide presentation and download as a PDF.  Distribute as you please.

8. Create a Story Book.  This is great for summarizing information.  Much like a timeline, students scour the internet finding appropriate images to go along with their story. Each slide contains a piece of the story and an appropriate picture.

9. Create a class shared presentation.  Another cool way to review.  The teacher would create a Google Slide presentation and assign a slide to each student in the class with a particular topic attached to it.  Share the slides with the class and have each student complete their individual slide.  Share the slideshow with the class when complete.  This works for assessment as well.  Assign each student a certain slide with a particular question.  Share the slides and have each student answer their assigned question.  Share the questions and answers with the class.

10. Take the class on a virtual tour slideshow.  This is a great history exercise using Google Earth or Google Tour Builder.  Students can present a tour of a historic place by simply taking screenshots of a particular location and pasting it into a Google Slides presentation.  Walk historic places and battlefields.  Show where historical events occurred.  In language arts, show where a particular story takes place.